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May 1, 2007

G25: Athletics 5, Red Sox 4 (10)

This one did not go according to plan.

The Sox scored three quick runs in the first inning on four hits -- two infield singles and a couple of bloops -- and upped the lead to 4-0 in the third.

Oakland got one back in the fourth -- a Dan Johnson home run over the bullpens -- and another in the seventh -- leadoff Travis Buck double, then a Jason Kendall single and a Todd Walker sacrifice fly. 4-2 Sox.

Schilling left after seven (7-8-2-0-7, 101). Then it was Okajima in the 8th (grounder to second, strikeout, popup to third) and Papelbon in the 9th. But the Bot did not have it tonight -- decreased velocity and less than pinpoint control: Bobby Crosby (c) singled to left and Buck (cs) homered to right. 4-4.

Having blown the save and allowed his first runs of the season, Papelbon continued to struggle: Kendall popped to second, but Danny Putnam singled and Shannon Stewart walked (a nine-pitch AB). Mark Ellis fouled out to Jason Varitek and Eric Chavez grounded into a force play. Papelbon threw 35 picthes to seven batters.

Boston had the 7-8-9 hitters up in the bottom of the ninth. Varitek struck out, but Eric Hinske doubled. Alex Cora pinch-hit for Dustin Pedroia (0-for-3) and was intentionally walked. Julio Lugo grounded out to third, moving the runners to second and third. I'm thinking Coco Crisp can get walked or HBP, so David Ortiz can get a shot. But Coco grounded out to first.

Oakland 10th v. Brendan Donnelly: Mike Piazza and Johnson both doubled, giving Oakland the lead. Then Donnelly got two strikeouts and a fly out to left.

Boston 10th v. Houston Street: Ortiz (he was early on the first pitch and crushed a foul ball to deep right) popped to second, Manny Ramirez struck out swinging on a slider, and Kevin Youkilis flew out to the warning track in left (the NESN cameraman truped the hell out of me, making me think it had a shot at the Monster Seats).

So it's a loss -- and a shitty one at that -- but what can you do? We all had a sneaking suspicion that Snuffer was mortal. Coco looked good, making a nice diving catch in the seventh, singling, walking, stealing a base and scoring twice. Manny had two singles and had two line drive outs to right field. Ortiz also singled twice and whined about several strike calls (grow up, Flo!).

Anyway, we're 16-9. Earl Weaver used to say: "This ain't football. We do this every day." So we're right back on the diamond tomorrow evening.

***

J.D. Drew was a late scratch from the original lineup. The team says he's out with "viral symptoms". Christopher L. Gasper of the Globe saw Drew before batting practice and thought "he did seem a little flush". ... So Eric Hinske will play right and bat #8, Coco Crisp moves from #8 to #2, and Kevin Youkilis moves from #2 to #5.

Basement Watch: Phil Hughes gets his secondstart for the Yankees tonight in Texas. The Rangers counter with Kameron Loe.

After being extremely pissed about the Sox game, I heard the Yanks had a combined no-hitter. I thought, "Why would they take out Hughes with a no-hitter? Must be an injury!" I flipped on the ol' web to see "Hughes leaves no-hitter with leg injury." Those poor, cursed Yankees. It's almost like they WANT to have bad things happen to them.* Then I watched the no-hitter and shutout disappear. So it's not as bad as it could've been tonight.

*When I say stuff like this, it's a comment on the state of the ridiculous pre-2004 media and the bullshit we Sox fans all went through all those years.

Yeah there is. The Red Sox just lost a game we had won for a good 8 innings. Did you see how pissed Pap himself was?

"Injury? I figured they pulled Hughes because of pitch count."

If this is a Torre joke, nice job. If not, well, it was the sixth--you can't take a guy out of a no-no that early, if at all, which is why I was suspicious. But you can ask my girlfriend, I really did say it--in fact, she was quite startled when I ran to the computer saying "Hughes must be injured!"

Still, sixth inning, I had to figure there was a problem. If he had a high pitch count then, he probably wouldn't have had a non-hitter. Unless it was one of those ten walk no-hitters, in which case, sure, pull his not-ready-for-prime-time ass.

Unfortunately, regression to the mean works in a number of different ways. Last year, by my count, I was something ridiculous like 14-2 for Sox games. This year, I'm 1-3, with the only loss being the first Yankee game, one we certainly didn't dominate.

"I don't see getting "extremely pissed off" about any given loss, when we're in first place and it's only May 1. Just my opinion."

I don't know if you're misinterpreting what I said or what. I'm an optimistic Sox fan, always have been. I didn't say "there goes the season," or "that's it for Papelbon," or anything like that. But last night I was really pissed off. I can't choose my natural reaction. Anytime something bad happens to the team, I'm mad. When something good happens, I'm happy. Looking at the score as 5-4 Oakland, knowing this was a 4-0 game and we were absolutely cruising, I couldn't just say, at that moment, "I'm totally happy right now cuz we're in first."

And it was me who still held out hope til the end, while my girlfriend, and plenty of other Sox fans, I'm sure, were saying, "this one's over..." But I'm not gonna act like I just immediately, at the point of the last out, was brushing the game aside. I mean, the Youk ball--I was DYIN'. Looked like a HR, as was stated in the post. I was just as pissed at the cameraperson...

"It's his job. His own performance. That's a different story"

It's MY job to root enough for Pap so he'll do well. When they do poorly, I feel it as if if was me. I, too, have problems understanding causality.